Retractable sling for guns



Patented Oct. 21, 1952 f Rnfmnornnnn sunt; :FoniG'uNs f Arthur1a.,.nozrs; harris, anamnalanMcLaughiin, Monticello, N. Y.,assignor`s.to.Romac Com- Epany, Inc., Harris,- N. Yeacorporation` of New.earning slings 'for rifles, lshotgunsforthe like and especially'concerned withthe provision of `a `dis'appearing typelof sling.

In the use of rines, Shotguns or the nre non;

` j` frire present invention f'eiafejslto the sir-1on-'Appuationriargn4194aseria1no.73,596 Q- (offici-ss); f

In lma'nufacture a "bore yIE5 .is Jformati, as "by drilling, .in thestock .from the Ilowerpar't thereof perpendicularlyto the axis of thebarrel 'I9 `and t extending only partially through the .stock/forsiderable` inconvenience 4.is encountered in connection withythevsling.` Such slings as have been customarily used requirereadjustment each time the rifle or gunis changednfrom-the carryingcondition to a condition of use. Accordng"to the present Ainventionthisinconveniencefiis completely `eliminated by the provision :of La:retractable sling." When fthetrifiorlgun Fisto be used the sling may bedisengaged-and then automativvcally'fretracts itself into thfsgtock-ofthe gun and .t

.is Ithereby completely out of the way and voffers no impediment toready use'of the gun. When the sling is desired to be used it may bereadily withdrawn from its retracted position and, in a very simplemanner, reattached and put in operative condition.

These and other advantages and objects of the present invention willbecome more apparent from the following detailed specification of apreferred embodiment of the invention, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a side elevational view ofa rifle showing the sling of the present invention in attached position;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional elevation view ofthe stock of the rifle of Figure 1 showing the sling in retractedposition;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the sling housing box used in Figure2; t

g Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, partly in elevation,taken along line 4--4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an end view of Figure 4 viewed in a direction 5 5 thereof;

Figure 6 is a perspective View shaft and spring holder; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary elevation view, partly in section, of theeyelet for attaching the sling to the gun forearm. l

Referring more in detail to the drawings, there is shown a rifle havinga barrel I9, a forearm I8, generally of wood, and a stock I1. Stock I1is hallowed, as shown in Figure 2, to contain a housing box I at whosecenter is fixed a shaft 6 serving as a bearing and spring holder. An-

of the bearing chored to the shaft 6 is a spiral spring 5 similar to theconventional clock spring. The outer end of spring 5 is fixed to a spool4 to which is also fixed the sling strap or rifle carrying strap 2, suchas of leather or other suitable material.

a distance less than the Vwidth of the stock at that point. The openingfor lthe accommodation .of the 'housing box I is then 'formed byoutungouttnepomon of 1the stock between the 'boi'e`25 and the righthandedge or bu'ttof the riiie, -the'bore `125 thereby serving 'to define theextenft of the `hollow'irig out Vo1" `the stock. .,ft'er 4huil-s"- .llis 'inserted Within the Stockii, is IEtalnfdn piace by means of a,`hun; platen fastened to 'the' ,stock "ITJ-byA suitable butt-platescrews 2`0. t

i A yijndricaipiug 8 or outerconguration conorrning tothe 'bore '25;andhavngftherin a slot 2'6 'adapted to accommodate the strap 2 'is' thenforce fitted into the bore 25. Plug 8 is generally concave at its outerend, as shown at 21, to permit grasping of a ring 9 which is fastened tothe end of the strap 2 as by a metal clip 'I and rivets 29. Plug 8serves both as a guide for the strap and as a stop by engaging ring 9which is larger .than the Width of the slot 26. It will thus 'beapparent upon pulling ring 9, strap 2 will bedrawn from its place withinthe housing I against the tension of spring 5 and upon release of thestrap 2 and ring 9 the spring 5 will retract the strap within the stock.

To hold the strap in its useful position an eyelet l0 is utilized whichis fastened to the forearm I8. Eyelet I0 is preferably fastened to amachine screw 3| which is screwed into an escutcheon I6 suitablyanchored in the wood forearm I8. If desired, screw 3| may be tappeddirectly into barrel I9. Eyelet I0 has a gap I2 therein which cooperateswith the thin section II in ring 9. The major part of ring 9 is toolarge to pass through gap I2. However its thin portion II will easilypass through gap I2. Therefore in fixing the ring 9 to eyelet IIJ ring 9is manipulated until the flat spot II passes through eyelet gap I2.Since this thin spot I I is on the side of ring 9, and since the tensionon spring 5 causes the end portion of ring 9 to abut eyelet I0, it willbe apparent that the ring 9 cannot disengage itself of its own accord.

In fabrication and assembly the stock I1 is first bored as at 25 andthen hollowed out to accommodate the housing I. Plug 8 may be insertedin bore 25 at this point. The spring 5 is fixed to the shaft 6 and bothstrap 2 and spring 5 are fixed to the spool 4. This subassembly is thenmounted within the housing I, the shaft 6 being splined as at I5 to twithin corresponding slots 30 of housing Ito retainshaft 6 againstrotation. Spring v5 is given the desired tension at this time and thesubassembly is then inserted into the stockv I'l and the strap 2 is fedthrough the slot 26 of -plug 8. If necessary the tension of spring 5 isovercome by holding the strap 2 in its extended positionwhile the,vring,l 9 is fixed to .strap` 2 `by clip 1A and rivets( 297`. fIhere isthus rprovided a readily'rarufact'ured and assembled retractable strapor sling for rifles or the like which does not add, materially to theweight or balance of the lrifle since the parts added merelyreplace'matefix' rial removed from the stock itself. The ,strapv orsling may be readily placed inoperative positio or easily detached andthen automatiallyreftracted as desired', thereby'affording greatly Yin-icreased convenience of use of the rifle.

It will be understoodl that the above description t represents merelyone illustrative embodiment ofi the invention and that other equivalentcon'-h lstructioncould alsoA beemployedb The present 'inventionVthereforiei'is' rnot to be eorisigleredlim- 'itedby the presentdescription butisvdened :lely by; ch appended claims. f.`Weclaiin`as'ouninventionz l 1."In`f arifle" with retractable slingl `hafsidesjontained'within said hollow stock;` a coiled fltfspring havingitsjinner end xedirelativjto id` housing, va' spool Arifiounted1in` saidhousing ounding andfxedito the outer `end oLsaid s g;"a sling strapcoiled aboutfsaid spool. vsaid vstock having a.:'ylir1d`rica-l- .boreextending from 'its hoilowportionitoithe "bottom edgefof svaid stock;laplug xed'within 'said'bore and 'stockfajhousing having an end and two'l `klm/ing am ,flat lslot'attending, transversely of Said *fige rstolck1 gsuitablefo'r"accommodating said strap.; saidplug l having a `concaverecess at its end adjacent-the bottom edge of said stock, the end ofsaid slot .Y forming ashoulder within said recess, said strap extendingthrough said slot and having a ring'f'" 5 at its yend exterior to saidstock, said ring being lofJa, VIlarger dth than thefwid/th lsaid slotwherebygsa lilqulder4-rvt$- 'i 2. In a combnedriile and retractablesling l'omprising a riiie having a stock with a hollow @communicatingwith the butt end` thereof,` a y housing Amounted ,in said hollow, and acylindrical ting'said hollow with vthe lower edge took, a cylindricalplug Within said bore,

15 4*said cooperating means comprising a ring lon said )strap e slot'.virith'i'ri` Plug having-a flat slot extending .trans-74V a *I verselyof.v said stock, a resiliently retained nor- 'e mally'f`-ciled's`tiapmounted within said housing, f

vanend `.of said strap passing through said slot.

